Lots of people, like you, are living in confusion. Uncertainty clouds their minds and keeps them from “seeing” the truth as it really is. Take for example, distinguishing real estate taxes from personal property taxes. There are some individuals that don’t know the difference between the two. One reason behind that can be traced back to our teachers during the good old schooling days. That is completely understandable, because the way they explain the subject matter is so damn boring! When they finally hammer the information needed into the back of our heads, it’s quickly forgotten – who would want to remember a boring part of their life anyway? SO without further delay, I’ll be discussing the difference between the two in the simplest terms possible.

First and foremost, real estate taxes are slapped on to real property. Real estate is immovable prop, like land and all the infrastructure or improvements on it. For deeper understanding of what the immovable is, check out the following examples: a house is considered to be attached to the land permanently, which cannot be moved whatsoever, so it belongs to this particular category. Other examples include buildings, ranches, farmhouses, and other infrastructure attached to these are classified under real property, which means they’ll be charged real estate taxes. Moving forward, personal prop includes your movable assets, almost everything not belonging to real property.

An example of this would be your car, the animals or livestock you own, your furniture, and even your money. They aren’t permanently attached to the ground on which they stand, which makes them more than qualified to be grouped as personal prop. Getting back to the topic on tax, personal property taxes are assessed on property that’s used in business only, my friend. The local assessor in your area has the responsibility of providing you with a form, in which you’ll be given the obligation of filing it up. With it, you’ll be required to state the value of your property.

On the other hand, real estate taxes will be assessed on either residential or industrial property – how much will you be expecting to pay here? Well that’d depend on the market value of the real property. Here’s t tip for you to always keep in mind that you may gain an idea on how more or less it works: know the value of it. This is important because the higher the value, the higher the real estate taxes will be. They rise in numbers accordingly. The value is assessed yearly by the assessor’s department. They send a notice to the tax payer each January that you may know it (obviously).

There are some instances though when you’ll be “tax exemptions”. The most common criteria for judging whether or not you’ll be qualified for the exemption would be your age, and the state of your disability (if any). Basically, this is the difference between the two types of taxes. If you’d like to get into the details, it’d be wise to do some research.

By: Rick Goldfeller

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Theoretically speaking, Dubai was the first emirate of the UAE to get involved in freehold real estate. Six years back, the Dubai government agreed to give expatriates, an option to have a 99-year lease of a particular Dubai property.

But in May 2002, the Crown Prince of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoom, issued a decree giving foreigners a free hand to buy properties on freehold ownership in Dubai. According to the experts, this move started the real estate boom in Dubai’s residential property.

At this time, freehold property in Dubai is limited to areas of Bur Dubai. This is the area where Dubai links up with Abu Dhabi. Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubailand, Jumeirah and Jebel Ali come under the vicinity of Bur Dubai.

Emaar Properties

Emaar Properties is widely regarded as the Dubai’s biggest real estate company. As a matter of fact, Emaar Properties was the first company to get into freehold property. Some of their projects are mentioned below:

Burj Dubai

Burj Dubai is the world’s tallest tower surrounded by a combination of commercial, residential and hotel complexes.

Dubai Marina

Dubai Marina is the biggest man-made marina in the world. In addition, Dubai Marina is also amongst the world’s biggest master planned waterfront development. According to media reports, the first stage of Dubai Marina development will consist of six waterfront apartment towers, namely, Sahab Twin Towers, Marina Crown, Manchester Tower, Al Seef Tower and 64 luxury villas.

Golf Towers

Golf Towers is basically a two residential high-rise towers that will overlook the Emirates Golf Club.

Al Nakheel Properties

Al Nakheel Properties is the most famous real estate company in Dubai run by a Dubai Government.

Some of their projects are mentioned below:

The Palm Islands – The Palm Islands is known as 8th wonder of the world thanks to its scenic beauty. The Palm Islands consists of the Palm Jumeirah, the Palm Jebel Ali and the Palm Deira.

The World – The World is a collection of 300 manmade islands built on the coast of Dubai.

Jumeirah Lake Towers – Located between Interchange 5 and 6 off Sheikh Zayed Road, Jumeirah Lake Towers consists of 45 uniquely designed towers. The best part about Jumeirah Lake Towers is that there are tremendous manmade lakes and waterways in the area that give it an added beauty and value.

International City – Situated in Al Warsan, International City is a pretty good real estate investment. Not only International City attracts plenty of tourists but also offers business opportunities. The residential portion of International City consists of units of studio, one and two bedroom apartments.

The Dubai real estate market is setting the standards for property development all around the globe. With developments such as Dubailand and The World on verge of completion, there is no doubt that the Dubai real estate market will remain an ideal place for investment in the coming years.

By: Sophia K

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Everything in Texas is big, including real estate options. If you’re considering a move to Texas, here is a primer on the state.

Dallas

Dallas is a big city with a definite oil influence. There is a certain over the top feeling about Dallas, but people are pleasant and the city has first-rate services. Make no mistake, living in Dallas is living in a big city. It comes with all the negatives of a big city such as traffic, but all the positives such as professional sports teams and so on. If you prefer living in a big city, Dallas may be a good choice as real estate is surprisingly cheap.

Austin

Austin is the home of the University of Texas and one of my favorite cities. With a definite college town attitude, one can experience an odd mix of the Wild West with the liberal attitudes of college students. The town boasts famous music festivals and, of course, an avid group of college football fans. Eternal optimist, they even think they can beat the Oklahoma University Sooners in 2005.

Houston

Constantly in a friendly competition with Dallas, Houston is a city that stands on its own merits. Those merits, however, are based on the boom or bust nature of the oil industry. When things are going well, Houston is abuzz and grows in leaps and bounds. When things are going bad, the economy suffers and so do the people living there. This boom or bust scenario has led to overbuilding and the city has an organized feel to it. All and all, not a personal favorite, but to each there own.

San Antonio

San Antonio is the big city with the little town feel. Unlike Houston, it is not dependent upon the oil business, which has resulted in some careful urban planning. Now the eighth biggest city in the United States, San Antonio is an up and coming city. Of the big cities in Texas, I would consider San Antonio the best overall.

Texas Real Estate

Overall, the good news is Texas real estate is very reasonably priced. The average home price in Dallas is $260,000, while Austin comes in around $200,000. A single family home in Houston will set you back $150,000 on average, while $220,000 will do the job in San Antonio.

The bad news with Texas real estate involves appreciation. Texas has the lowest real estate appreciation rate from September 2004 to October 2005. With an appreciation rate of a little over 5 percent, not everything is big in Texas. Still, this may be an opportunity to get in on the ground floor, particularly for a great town like Austin.

One would think Texas is a take it or leave it state, but it simply isn’t true. The cities are all unique and a lack of a state income tax makes the low real estate appreciation rates easier to swallow.

By: Raynor James

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When you have to either buy or sell properties, then you need to take the advice of real estate brokers. These brokers will be able to help you tide through the complexities associated with sale and purchase of property. There are professional brokers who will provide you with guidance and support and help you take the right decision.

A broker is a professional who specialises in the sale and purchase of real estate brokers. They are knowledgeable in their field and know the trends of the realty markets and are thorough about the legalities associated with buying and selling. Inspite of their knowledge, they need to remain abreast of the latest developments in the property market.

Brokers either work independently or are appointed by realty firms. Brokers need to invest time in understanding the market and should have uptodate information about the market trends. The latest price listing will give them an idea of the property rates and they can advise their clients accordingly. Many brokersalso advise clients about the location of the property, financial options available and so on.

Brokers are intermediaries between the seller and buyer as they understand the value of the property and the documentation procedure. A broker should be credible and trustworthy and before identifying a broker, find out from him the list of customers he has to his credit.

The realty market is indeed a profitable business proposition and this is the reason many people now want to take up this profession and make it a full time occupation. There are a number of formalities and a lot of documentation involved when it comes to purchasing and selling the property. It is advised that you take the help of a good broker who is trustworthy and who understands the laws of property market well. Beware of unscrupulous brokers as they may cheat you of your money.

Check out the website for genuine real estate brokers. If required, visit the clients personally to find out more about the broker and his services. Check with friends, relatives and associates if they have hired the services of any broker for their property. The reviews posted on the websites are enough evidence about the repute of the broker and you can accordingly take a call on that.

Individuals interested in becoming a broker may want to take real estate training from a real estate broking firm of repute, so that they understand the business better. Real estate brokers also will help you identify rental properties and their services are of great help especially when you have to seek tenants for your property. They will also help with other add-on services like checking the creditworthiness of the tenant and so on. Thus, you will be at peace that your property is in safe hands and you need not have to worry about the rentals.

By: Dani Mer

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If you are interested in making some real estate investments at this time, Dubai is the ideal location. Geographically speaking, Dubai is one of seven emirates that together create United Arab Emirates. Real estate market in Dubai is quite a big one as people from all around the globe are eager in investing in the property market of Dubai. Real estate market is the top most priority of Dubai government as this is instrumental in brining them huge profits and foreign investment. Also, it is quite pivotal in terms of offering housing and business buildings to current and incoming residents.

As Dubai property comes in wide selection of forms, you have plenty of choices in terms of real estate investment. For example, there are villas, hotels, and ultra contemporary homes on the water, condos, studio apartment, offices and more. So whether you are looking for a property for business or a home, you will find that there are options galore in the Dubai real estate market. If experts are to be believed, most of the real estate investors in Dubai are working on the concept of buying property at present and selling it later when the property value has increased appreciably thus making huge profits.

There are some real estate investors who are apprehensive regarding this concept as they have seen how real estate boom can disappear pretty quickly too. After all, bubble always bursts. In case of Dubai, there is no indication of this happening because most of the experts feel that value of Dubai real estate has not been set unfairly. In addition, Dubai real estate is fully backed by the Emirates government, therefore the chances of decrease in value are very slim.

If you want to invest in a real estate property that has an altogether different feel then Palm Island in Dubai is the place for you. Dubai Marina, Dubai Complex, Dubai Waterfront and Business Bay are also quite exceptional pieces of real estate properties to invest in Dubai. The best part about these properties is that not only they are profitable in terms of investment but also perfect location to live a stress free life.

By: Sophia K

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